Pietersen won't let impending fatherhood distract him from cricket

May 07, 2010 13:45 IST

Kevin Pietersen will leave the English team the moment he is called home for the birth of his first child but as long as he is at the World T20 tournament in West Indies, the hard-hitting batsman says he will not let it distract him from the cricket.

"If it's after the tournament that the baby comes, it's after the tournament. If it's during the tournament, I'll still be giving it my best shot whenever I play for England - no matter where or in what situation," Pietersen said after guiding the team to a win over Pakistan with an unbeaten 73 on Thursday.

Pietersen could leave the Caribbean in the next 10 days to be with his pop star wife Jessica in London where she is expecting the birth of the couple's first child.

After some initial hiccups, Pietersen found his form with a 52-ball innings featuring two sixes and eight fours and set the stage for English team's face off with a formidable South Africans in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday.

"It was nice, a nice wicket to bat on, and the boys bowled well. Then we chased down a real gettable total, which was great," he said.

"To go out there and perform on a day when it was crucial was great. It's two points for the boys and one more victory and maybe we can go to the semi-finals," he added.

The number three batsman, who was born in South Africa, said he understands the importance of the match against the Proteas and insisted he will perform to his best.

"I want to play for England and win games for England. I'll play for England as long as I can. I will give my best. But anything can happen in Twenty20. I could get out first ball against South Africa," he said.

Pietersen, who hit his ankle with the bat and needed several minutes of on-field treatment during Thursday's match against Pakistan, said he is fine now and there is no concern.

"The ankle is fine. When you win you don't worry about injuries - it's a great win by the boys. No concern - I just hit my bat on my ankle. It was bleeding a little bit, but no problem," he said.

The former Test captain had missed most of last year's Ashes series triumph due to an Achilles injury.